• 39% of Roma children give up school due to lack of funds
• Conference of Russian compatriots conducted in Riga
• Leader of the Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics: mass non-citizenship in Latvia is not a problem of non-citizens
• Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte: Russian language is a regional language of post Soviet space

According to a study “Roma Rights for Education: Situation in Latvia” conducted by the Centre for Education Initiative, 39% of Roma children give up school due to lack of funds necessary for continuation of the studies. 34% of Roma stop going to school because they start to work, 13% because they begin their own family life, and 13 % of Roma children stop attending the school due to their parents’ prohibition. According to the Roma parents interviewed in the framework of the study, they are not confident that good education will ensure their children with work and subsistence. 

According to a study Roma Rights for Education: Situation in Latvia conducted by the Centre for Education Initiative, 39% of Roma children give up school due to lack of funds necessary for continuation of the studies. 34% of Roma stop going to school because they start to work, 13% because they begin their own family life, and 13 % of Roma children stop attending the school due to their parents prohibition. According to the Roma parents interviewed in the framework of the study, they are not confident that good education will ensure their children with work and subsistence. Chas

Latvijas Avize reports about the IV conference of organisations of Russian compatriots Russian World in Latvia: observance of ethnic minorities rights – necessary condition for establishment of democracy and society integration held on 19 June in Riga. According to the conferences participants, the main aims of the organisations of Russian compatriots will still include granting all non-citizens Latvian citizenship and granting Russian language status of official in Latvia.

According to the leader of the Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics, mass non-citizenship in Latvia is a problem of the state, and not a problem of non-citizens themselves. Mr. Urbanovics believes that non-citizens do not care about their status anymore because they can freely travel to Europe and Russia. Mr. Urbanovics believes that it is useless to allow or forbid non-citizens to receive citizenship; instead, non-citizens rather should be persuaded to accept the citizenship.

According to the leader of the Concord Centre Janis Urbanovics, mass non-citizenship in Latvia is a problem of the state, and not a problem of non-citizens themselves. Mr. Urbanovics believes that non-citizens do not care about their status anymore because they can freely travel to Europe and Russia. Mr. Urbanovics believes that it is useless to allow or forbid non-citizens to receive citizenship; instead, non-citizens rather should be persuaded to accept the citizenship. Telegraf

Vesti Segodnya publishes an article by the Minister of Culture Sarmite Elerte in which the Minister explains why she does not support the proposal of the Concord Centre to allow teaching in higher education establishments in Russian language. The Minister considers that Russian language is a regional language of post Soviet space, while English is the world language. Mrs Elerte believes that allowing higher education establishment to provide studies in Russian would strengthen second-rate education in Latvia and ruin state language policy. According to Mrs Elerte, the quality of higher education can be raised only by providing studies in English and other official EU languages.

• Saeima supported in final reading draft amendments stipulating noticeably higher fines for violations of the use of state language

On Thursday, the Saeima supported in final reading draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code stipulating noticeably higher fines for violations concerning the use of state language. Fines for insufficient usage of state language at work will be raised from LVL 50 (~ EUR 71) up to LVL 200  (EUR 285). Fines for the absence of translation of instructions and labels will be raised to LVL 100-1,000 (EUR 70-708) instead of the current LVL 25-100 (EUR 35 – 143).

On Thursday, the Saeima supported in final reading draft amendments to the Administrative Violations Code stipulating noticeably higher fines for violations concerning the use of state language. Fines for insufficient usage of state language at work will be raised from LVL 50 (~ EUR 71) up to LVL 200 (EUR 285). Fines for the absence of translation of instructions and labels will be raised to LVL 100-1,000 (EUR 70-708) instead of the current LVL 25-100 (EUR 35 – 143). Telegraf notes that the draft amendments got supported also by the Concord Centre (CC). A representative of the CC, MP Valerijs Agesins explains that if the CC had protested against the amendments nationalists would propose more severe amendments which most likely would be supported by governing coalitions parties. Telegraf

• Interview with the leader of the nationalists party All for Latvia!, MP Raivis Dzintars
• State Language Centre asks to explain why web site of some organisations are only in Russian language

Weekly magazine

Weekly magazine Sestdiena prints an interview with the leader of the nationalists party All for Latvia!, MP Raivis Dzintars. Although the collection of signatures for support of the Constitutional Amendments foreseeing transition of all state funded schools only into Latvian language failed, Mr. Dzintars believes the campaign for the collection of signatures was a success for All for Latvia!. Mr. Dzintars argues that their initiative was supported by about 120,000 persons which is significantly more than the number of persons voted for All for Latvia! at the last Saeimas elections (74,000 voted for the party at the elections).

Vesti Segodnya reports that the State Language Centre (SLC) asked to explain the head of the NGO Motherland why its web site is only in Russian language. The same explanations were asked from one of the initiators of the collection of signatures for support of Russian language as the second official in Latvia Jevgenijs Osipovs about the web site publishing information about the initiative. According to the newspaper, the SLC received complains about mentioned web sites.

• Ex-MP Janis Lagzdins: ethnic Latvians must forget a word occupant

According to an ex-MP Janis Lagzdins, ethnic Latvians must forget a word “occupant” because it is offensive for Russian speaking residents and creates presumption that ethnic Latvians are hostile towards them. Mr Lagzdins believes that ethnic Latvians should remember occupation and repressed persons, but should not offend Latvian residents who are not guilty for these crimes.

According to an ex-MP Janis Lagzdins, ethnic Latvians must forget a word occupant because it is offensive for Russian speaking residents and creates presumption that ethnic Latvians are hostile towards them. Mr Lagzdins believes that ethnic Latvians should remember occupation and repressed persons, but should not offend Latvian residents who are not guilty for these crimes. Latvijas Avize

• Politician Edgars Jaunups: ethnic Latvian voters should ensure that the Concord Centre does not get the leading posts when its comes to governing coalition
• Vesti Segodnya interviews a teacher of Russian language about ethnic identity of Russian speakers in Latvia

According to the member of the Riga City Council Edgars Jaunups (Unity), inclusion of the Concord Centre (CC) in the governing coalition is a matter of nearest future. Mr Jaunups believes that ethnic Latvian voters should ensure that at the moment when it happens the CC does not get the leading posts such as the post of the prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, minister of education and minister of interior. Mr Janunups considers if ethnic Latvian parties are divided the CC role might take the leading role.

According to the member of the Riga City Council Edgars Jaunups (Unity), inclusion of the Concord Centre (CC) in the governing coalition is a matter of nearest future. Mr Jaunups believes that ethnic Latvian voters should ensure that at the moment when it happens the CC does not get the leading posts such as the post of the prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, minister of education and minister of interior. Mr Janunups considers if ethnic Latvian parties are divided the CC role might take the leading role. Latvijas Avize

Vesti Segodnya interviews a teacher of Russian language about ethnic identity of Russian speakers in Latvia. According to the teacher, celebration of various Russian occasions such as the Victory Day on 9 May and Orthodox celebrations is a factor of consolidation of Russian speaking residents in Latvia. The teacher believes that especially the 9 May became the component which holds the Russian community together.